Armenia getting further isolated in region - head of Azerbaijan's PACE delegation

11:15
02 November 2018
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Armenia is being further isolated in the region, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary Committee for International and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Samad Seyidov told Trend on Nov. 2.

“Armenia’s policy does not inspire confidence in anyone,” Seyidov, who is also head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, said.

“The Pashinyan government is trying to pursue policy that serves the interests of Armenia, however, the more it tries, the more Armenia is being isolated in the region,” he said. “In fact, Armenia’s regional ties are being ruined.”

"This is a paradox, as no matter how Armenia tries to change the situation in the region in its favour, in reality it only becomes worse for itself. And the reason is that Armenia’s political course is fundamentally wrong,” he said.

“Armenia must recognize that all its problems are the result of the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their lands as a result of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis," Seyidov added.

“The current processes in the region are in favor of Azerbaijan and the recent events in Armenia create a strong basis for such a conclusion,” he added. “In this regard, I would like to cite a few specific facts. A few days ago, Istanbul hosted meetings of foreign ministers of the regional countries in a trilateral format. A meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia was held on October 29, while a meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran - on October 30.”

Seyidov stressed that respect and support for the principles of international law, in particular, sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of internationally recognized borders, a specific and principled position on resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on these principles have been once again outlined in the Istanbul declarations, signed at both meetings of the trilateral format.

"In these declarations, the regional countries, in particular the Iranian side, expressed open support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, made an appeal to resolve the conflict on the basis of these principles," he said.

Seyidov stressed that Armenia is always trying to harm the Azerbaijan-Iran relations and use it in its own interests.

"However, it is obvious that all the leading countries of the region, namely, Turkey, Iran, Georgia call for resolving the conflict specifically within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and confirm that in the above-mentioned declarations," he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.